Megan's Rough Night
by Thisisfunwhattooksolong
Summary: Megan can't sleep. Nightmares of Empath keep waking her up. Luckily for her, her friends are happy to help her keep going. Set pre-'stuff with Betsy' San Francisco. Very fluffy.


**Disclaimer:** Not mine.

 **An:** I can do this now. When I first uploaded this story there was a glitch in Document Manager that kept me from editing the file and then I sort of forgot, but now that I'm going through everything I've ever done on this site to remove the errors (mostly word choice errors in this case) and then I remembered it.

This is set after the Hellfire Cult and Megan's room assignment (UcXM 500-504) and before the Sisterhood broke into the X-Men's not-quite-San Francisco headquarters (508 I think).

* * *

Megan's nightmare began much as it had for the previous few days. She was walking out of the concert, arm draped around somebody or other, didn't really matter who, she went down the alleyway, and they came at her.

The chains, the whips, the clubs rained down blow after blow, her wings crumpling beneath their strikes. More pain than she'd ever believed she could endure shot through her with each successive lashing, and she couldn't maintain the mental strength to summon her dagger even had the thought occured to her to try. She hit out as best she could but four different thugs each held one of her limbs, and a fifth was still there to administer the whips.

"Well done lads, I'll take it from here. Leave the whip." Another man appeared and after one look into his eyes Megan felt what little strength she had left leave her. "Now for some fun girlie, and..." He locked eyes with her again and this time sustained it. "...you will enjoy it."

The dream had never got to this stage before, real life had never got to this stage and if she'd been awake Megan would've known it to be a stupidly unlikely turn of events for Empath would not have risked exposing himself in front of his supporters, at least no more than he needed to keep them under control. But she wasn't awake, and that did not even enter her dreaming mind.

Megan screamed as Empath tore off her shirt with one hand (tossing it to a lackey) and with a 'crack!' swiped her down her front with the whip he was holding in the other, and the worst part was that due to Empath's power though it was still immensely painful there was also excitement, euphoria, even arousal. She tried to teleport out but her mouth no longer worked for anything other than screaming and if she couldn't say the words of the spell then teleporting was a no.

Another lash. Another jolt of pain, another burst of excitement. Empath ripped apart her jeans and swiped her again.

She screamed again as she was sure she heard the sound of claws, and back to pure terror as Empath continued his ministrations, this time on a different body part. There was a voice in the air, somebody other than Empath calling her name, and with strength she didn't know she still possessed she lurched forwards, and her surroundings changed - the sound of the cracking whip replaced by the low hum of air conditioning. She became aware that she was trapped in somebody's grip, well two people's grip, one was holding her upper body while the other bound her legs.

Megan was still thrashing, but whoever this was didn't seem to react to being hit at all, despite the fact that Megan had mysteriously healed in the last few seconds and thus was flailing properly. Another moment to discover that her current holder was also the source of the mysterious voice. And in another her eyes adjusted enough to make out the luminescent powered up form of Hisako.

After yet another moment of panic at being held captive, this time by someone she thought was a friend, her brain finally caught up and she realised she wasn't being attacked but hugged and Megan relaxed against her roommate. Hisako stopped glowing in the dark and comforted the distressed Megan as best she could. As she blinked back the sleep a few more times she spotted the ever intimidating sight of Laura sitting on her legs, claws extended as if ready to strike a more real opponent.

Megan was well 'ard. Her real life encounter with that unworthy excuse for a mutant involved her stabbing him for god's sake (at least, the rematch did - she wasn't sure if he was one of the ones that clubbed her half to death or not), but after a dream like that her eyes welled up as she collapsed into Hisako's welcoming embrace. Laura released her legs and stood there awkwardly, like she wanted to say something but had no idea what.

Hisako just held her close, rubbing her back and whispering nice comments. There were few things like being hugged when it came to showing concern and so while Megan's image was going down the bog with every second she spent whimpering she was too far gone to care. Besides, roommates were meant to help with stuff like this, she'd do the same for them in a heartbeat. Well, Hisako at least; she'd be weary of getting into arms reach of a struggling Laura, who was just now retracting her claws.

The door swung open and Cannonball, Karma and Dazzler came rushing in, and if that wasn't embarrassing enough for Megan they were closely followed by Scott! And she wasn't dressed properly for meeting him - her pajamas covered her important parts at least but they didn't exactly flatter her figure.

Cannonball and Karma looked around appraising the situation but Ali on seeing Megan's teary face ran to join the hug.

"Is anyone hurt?" Scott asked. "We heard screaming."

Megan wanted the ground to swallow her up as Hisako answered "It was just a nightmare Mr. Summers. Though when Megan screamed out 'Empath' in her sleep, Laura was halfway through the door to dice him up before I told her I needed help to subdue her before she hurt herself. I wonder if he could sense his lucky escape."

There was a silver lining at least; if Laura was so ready to claw that lesser lifeform that was masquerading as a mutant then that meant she really did care about her after all.

"Is that all?" Scott asked. Megan looked at the floor, determined not to look into his eyes unless she absolutely had to.

"Uh huh."

"Well, you seem to have the matter in hand." Scott looked it over, then chuckled to himself. "I must say there was a time when loud noises late at night meant either someone was attacking or two people were having a 'secret' romantic rendezvous."

"Cyclops, sir, I assure you we were not doing either." Laura stood at attention despite being dressed in the closest thing she had to pajamas, which had Megan not been so upset she would've found amusing.

"So usually it's a secret date huh Scott." Alison turned her head but continued to hug Megan. "There I was thinking I was processing a report with you with you but if you consider it to be a-"

"Oh no Alison, that really was just a report." Scott's face was starting to match his glasses, and despite her growing jealousy Megan was happy to know that he could be flustered too.

"Oh, that's too bad." Ali teased (at least Megan really hoped it was teasing and her idol wasn't seriously making a play for the man of her dreams). Then she turned her attention to the others. "So Sam, Zhi... Shi... Karma, what about you two? What kept you up? Finally acted on a long held secret passion for each other? You certainly looked like you were having fun together. Does Dani know about-"

"Not that it's any of your business Dazzler but we were marathoning Battlestar Galactica in anticipation of the upcoming finale." Sam had placed an arm around Xi'an to emphasise the 'we' that wasn't helping his case much - since nobody _really_ believed those two were together anything that could suggest it was fair game for potential teasing.

"Does anyone actually believe them? I smell love-rats..." Ali glittered for effect.

"Absolutely Dazzler," said Laura, not getting the joke. "Cannonball's love for science-fiction is well known, and while Karma's is not, what is well known is that she likes women. Therefore it is entirely feasible that they might spend half the night watching Battlestar Galactica, or at least it's more likely than a secret tryst. Am I correct in thinking Mirage doesn't share your love for that television program Cannonball?"

Sam nodded sadly.

"My girlfriend doesn't either despite being a fan too." Xi'an offered, before showing signs of horror and slapping her own face.

"You have a girlfriend?" Sam asked. "All those times Dani and I, or anyone else for that matter asked how you were getting on, and you never thought to mention that?"

"Goodnight Megan, just know we're always here for you if you ever need us. Goodnight Hisako, Laura." Karma fled the room as fast as she could. Sam quickly followed, Scott reminding him not to demolish the building while pestering her.

"Xi'an's right you know." Scott looked directly into Megan's eyes and she tried not to melt. "We are here for you. I know we weren't when it counted, a mistake I have no intention of repeating, um, again, but we are now. If you need someone to talk to then there will always be someone to listen."

Megan was struggling to process that though, because her mind was running more along the lines of 'god he's gorgeous' but managed to add 'so kind too' to the already long list of his fanciable qualities. Well as long as she didn't say anything really stupid like...

"I love you."

OK, Megan thought to herself. Play it cool. Well, coolish. Lukewarm. "I love all of you so much."

Laura was giving her the eye - the one that said 'Even I know that's not what you meant' and Megan really hoped Scott didn't turn around enough to see it, or that Laura didn't share it with everyone. That is of course assuming that her rapidly growing blush hadn't made it obvious to everybody. And in a related subject she was very happy in that moment that everything already looked red to Scott through those glasses of his anyway.

"Well..." Scott was saying, "...I'm glad that you-"

"Scott!" Ali released Megan and placed her hand along Scott's arm (Megan tried not to look upset). "Just go. Seriously, you're not helping right now."

Scott looked rather affronted at being so cavalierly dismissed inside his own headquarters, but did as she suggested. Then Ali turned her attention back to Megan, sitting on the edge of her bed and turning her head towards her.

"Hey girl, I hate to break it to you but I'm pretty sure Scott knows you _like_ him and is just trying to be polite in not mentioning it." Ali patted Megan affectionately as she hung her face in her hands and groaned. "But I didn't. Why didn't you tell me?"

"It never came up, and I know it's hopeless." For someone who was supposedly trying to help she seemed to be really terrible at it. Granted Megan was no longer scared, but she was fast wanting to cry out of heartache. "Scott Summers will never love me back so I see no reason to talk about it. Yes it hurts knowing that and seeing him with Ms. Frost knowing he will never be with me, never light up when I laugh, never give me a passionate kiss in the briefing room, never say... and that's not getting started on how I feel watching the two of you flirt like you're Ross and Rachel, but that's a pain I can bear in order to know I'm still me."

"Oh Megan..." Ali pulled her back into a sidehug, almost tripping Hisako (who was still holding her other side). "There was a time once, long ago, when something could've happened between me and Scott. That is so in the past it's barely worth mentioning. These days I flirt with him mainly to wind up Emma; you were the last person I ever wanted to hurt. I'm so sorry."

"It's OK." Megan could forgive her anything. "Like I said, I know I've got no chance in hell with him. I just wish for someone to tell me I'm beautiful, that I have strikingly pretty eyes and ears, that I'm worth loving for a plethora of reasons even I can't think of, and I've realised that I'll have to look elsewhere for that, but I still really _really_ fancy Scott. Does that make any sense?"

"It makes perfect sense. The heart wants what the heart wants after all, and you would hardly be the first person to have such a problem." Ali assured her before turning to her roommates. "Did you know about this?"

"That she liked Scott? Sure I did, pretty much everyone does," said Hisako. That was news to Megan - everyone knew? Granted she'd been pretty open with her crush when she'd first arrived at the X-Mansion but that was long ago - surely they didn't know she was still besotted. She wished the ground would swallow her up. Then she realised that if it did it would land her too close to Empath for her liking.

"Didn't know it was bad though." Hisako ran a hand up and down her arm.

"I observed that whenever Megan was involved in a conversation about Cyclops her heart-rate increased and extra blood flowed into her cheeks, symptoms worsened whenever the two were in close proximity. I brought up my resulting concerns for her health with Logan and he suggested that she probably had a crush on him, a viewpoint that Cessily and Sooraya already held." Laura supplied unhelpfully (in Megan's opinion). "Also, Megan, I would like it to be noted that while I do not have an objective standard for measuring 'prettiness', your eyes and ears are striking, and in a good way. And you are beautiful, all the more for your wings being healed; the unique scent of fairy dust is not enchanting in the low background concentrations it has now and is actually somewhat pleasant. At least part of that is a matter of objective fact, the rest is my personal opinion. And I admit to being both awed and annoyed in equal measure by your approach to life."

"Just to be clear, are you asking her out?" Hisako asked Laura.

"I do not understand the question."

"You know, date her? Be her girlfriend? Court her? Romance her?"

"No, I am not," Laura replied before her curiosity got the better of her. "Why would you think that? All I did was tell Megan some truths that she said she wanted to hear?"

Megan's heart felt ready to burst.

"Yes," said Hisako, "things she wanted her eventual boyfriend to tell her to make her feel special."

"Duly noted."

But Megan had pulled herself off the bed and out of the grip of both of her would-be comforters.

"That doesn't mean I'm not grateful Laura. I'm so happy to hear that someone likes me at least, even if it's non-italic lower-case 'likes'. What Hisako's forgotten to mention is that friends are meant to boost each other's spirits too. For instance I think it's really cool that you don't have to worry about blackheads, and far more importantly that while just hanging out is, hard, for you, you're still willing to try to be our friend anyway."

"Knowing that you consider me a friend makes me feel..." Laura struggled to find the words. "...like one of those fuzzy dice some bizarre people have inside cars. I think that is because I want to be friends with you too."

"Aww." Hisako coo'd. "Awkward hug moment!"

For once Laura didn't seem to object and so as Megan and X-23 pulled into a rather unusual not to mention stiff embrace Ali smiled and stood up.

"You'll be OK girlie." She muttered just loud enough for them to hear. "Bye guys."

"Bye." They called as she left.

A few minutes later they were back in bed. Another few minutes before Megan was asleep. And another one (real time) before she found herself with some guy on her arm in an all too familiar alleyway.

The Hellfire Cult goons were coming, whips and chains in hand. Megan flinched in expectation of the coming beating, but it didn't happen. Instead the path was lit up and a loud voice came from behind her.

"Stay away from our buddy!"

Megan turned to see Hisako fully powered-up and at that distance it looked like she was doing a Roman salute. It became obvious that the actual posture was 'has just underarm bowled' however as Megan felt something like a boulder sail over her head, and turned back to the thugs just in time to see it smash into the front two knocking them down. As the other thugs advanced the 'boulder' stood under its own power and four razor-sharp adamantium claws sprang forth.

During the fight that followed many of the thugs would've rethought their career choice as X-23 went equal parts acrobat and ballerina through their ranks, Armor adding her own brute force by jumping up and down on their van. Even Megan's concert date in this iteration, who she'd just realised was Ross Gellar of all people, managed to take down one of them with a well aimed roller-skate to the nuts.

Megan herself, though buzzed on Red Bulls took down one as he came at her swinging a rounders bat, tackling him to the ground and then kicking him in the groin. Soon all the thugs were gone and Empath was alone against Megan and her friends, further reinforced by yet more her friends appearing - Dazzler, Wolverine, Collosus, Karma, Nightcrawler, Cyclops, her fellow Acadamy Xers (even Mark - how she missed him) and even some she didn't really know. Empath took one swing at X-23 in his attempt to break out which didn't go well for him. In a near impossible set of moves she had him pinned against a nearby wall, the X-Men completing the encirclement. And Megan finally had the opportunity in the dream what she'd eventually had the opportunity to do in reality - to stick her dagger in him.

Pink light flowed from her hand as the blade formed, she pulled her arm back to strike, and she hesitated.

Had she still been in a fight, Megan wouldn't have thought twice about using it, indeed she hadn't thought twice when the situation arose for real, but to attack an already defeated enemy... Megan just didn't have it in her.

She retracted her dagger and cried, and as Nightcrawler 'ported the captured Empath away, Megan ran out of the circle of X-Men, darted round the corner, curled up on the pavement, and as Laura caught up with her she wept for reasons her dreaming mind didn't understand, Laura clinging onto her and holding her close the way her real life counterpart never would.

Back in reality Hisako had gone back to sleep really quickly, but Laura always struggled to relax enough. She was paranoid by nature, and had far more to be scared of than say, Megan, and far worse memories; her healing factor having enabled her to endure the unbearable. She had far more nightmares too, though her body seemed less inclined to act them out (or possibly just that nobody had ever told her otherwise, she didn't know which) - it was when she was waking up that it was dangerous to be within four feet of her.

And so she was still awake enough to hear when Megan whispered her own name. Before she could contemplate the reasoning she heard her go on to say "just hold me".

She didn't actually go and hug her sleeping roommate, not withstanding her dislike for touching there was a real risk that she might doze off too and then accidentally kill her on waking up, but she did look her way and smile. Megan was curling into her bed covers, holding them as if they were... With a start Laura realised they were meant to be herself.

With a smile on her face Laura drifted off into a sleep of her own, and for once, neither girl was troubled by nightmares throughout the rest of the night.


End file.
